Daktel yan teump



(No Model.)

D. VAN TRUMP. FRUIT STEP LADDER.

No. 285,869. Patented Sept. 18, 1883.

INVENTOR- BY g ATTORNEYS WITNESSES M? UNITED, STATES PATENT FFICE.

DANIEL VAN TRUMP, NORBORNE, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, AND SIMEON O. DANFOBTH,OF WVATSON, MISSOURI.

FRUIT STEP-LADDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 285,369, datedSeptember 18, 188?.

Application filed July 14, 15 83. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL VAN TRUMP, of Norborne, in the county ofCarroll and State of Missouri,ha-ve invented a new and Improved FruitStep-Ladder, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved fruitstep-ladder for facilitating the taking of fruit from trees.

The invention consists in aladder constructed with three upright rails,of which one side rail is connected with the middle rail by means ofrungs, and between the middle rail and the other side rail a box,bucket, or sack is held to slide,which bucket can be drawn to the upperend of the ladder by means of a rope or wire secured to a Windlass-drum.Y

The invention also consists in a wing held t the top step of the ladderand provided at its free end with a suitable leg.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all-the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved fruit step -ladder. Fig. 2is an enlarged longitudinal sectional elevation of the same, parts beingbroken out. Fig. 3 is a front view of part of the same.

The ladder is constructed with three upright rails, A, B, and O, ofwhich B and G are longer or higher thanthe rail A, and the rails A B areunited by rungs D and a top step, E, in the usual manner. Braces orstruts F are pivoted to the outer sides of the side rails, A and 0. Tothe inner surfaces of the rails B and 0 trackstrips G are secured alongthe under or inner edge, and the said strips terminate in pockets- H,Qatthe lower ends of the rails B C and a shoit distance above theground. Pins or studs J project from the inner surfaces of the rails B Oat the upper ends of the same. A shaft, K, provided with acrank-handle,'L, is journaled in the upper ends of side bars, B O, andaround the same a rope or wire, M, is wound, the other end of which isfastened to the upper end of a box or bucket, R, atits inner edge, asshown in Fig. 2. The said bucket or box is provided at its lower endwith a laterally-projecting stud, N, on each side, which studs orpintles are adapted to slide on theItrackstrips G. The

studs or pintles N are slightly in front of the the middle of the bottomedges of the sides of the box. A sen]icircularly-bent plate or bar,

0, is secured to the side rails, B G, in such manner that it projectsfrom the front of the ladder at the upper end. A wing or board,

P, provided at one end with a leg, Q, is bolted at its opposite end, a,to the top step, E, thus forming a platform on which the person pickingthe fruit can walk partly around the tree and pick more fruit withoutchanging the position of the step-ladder. The lower end of the rails A BG are united by a suitable cross-rod.

In place of providing the guide-strips G, the rails may be provided withgrooves out in the inner sides. In place of the bucket or box, a sackcan be used.

The operation v is as follows: The box or bucket R is raised by windingthe rope or wire M on the shaft K until the stu ds N on the bucket, box,or sack rest against the studs J on the inner sides of the bars B O attheupper ends of the same. Then the top of the box, bucket, or sack isswung to the front to rest on the upper edge of the curved plate, bar,or frame 0, as shown in Fig. 1. The fruit is then placed into the box,bucket, or sack, and when the latter is filled it is swung inward, andthe crank handle is turned in the reverse direction, thus permitting thebox, bucket, or sack B to slide down the track-strips G until the pivotsor studs N are in the pockets H. The bucket R then swings inward anddownward, as indicated by the arrow, and deposits its contents on theground, in a barrel cart, &c. The bucket will swing upward and slide upbetween the rails B C as soon as the rope or wire is again wound on theshaft K.

I do not abandon or dedicate to the public any 0 patentable feature setforth herein and not hereinafter claimed, but reserve the right to claimthe same either in a reissue of any patent that may be granted upon thisapplication or in other applications for Letters Patent that I 5 maymake.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a fruit step-ladder, the combination of Ice the upright rails A BO, the two former of which are connected by rungs D, and the fruit- Iwith three parallel upright rails, of run unitreceptacle R, slidingbetween the middle rail, B, and the other side rail, 0, substantially asshown and described. v

2. In a fruit step-ladder, the combination, with three upright rails, ofrungs uniting one side rail and the middle rail, a sliding box, bucket,or sack held between the middle rail and the other side rail, awindlass, drum, or roller journaled in the upper ends of the rails,between which the bucket slides, and a rope or chain fastened to theroller or shaft and to the bucket, substantially as herein shown anddescribed, and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a fruit step-ladder, the combination,

ing one side rail and the middle rail, trackstrips secured to the middlerail and the other side rail, a bucket,box, or sack sliding between therails, provided with the track-strips and devices for raising the box,bucket, or sack, substantially as herein shown and described, I and forthe purpose set forth.

asses 4;. In a fruit step-ladder, the combination, with ille uprights AB O and the rungs D, of the track-strips G, secured on the strips'B Oand forming pockets H at the lower ends, and of the sliding box, bucket,or sack R, provided with pintles or studs N on the sides, substantiallyas herein shown and described.

5. In a fruit step-ladder, the combination, with the uprights "A B O andthe rungs D, of the sliding bucket, box, or sack R, devices for raisingit, and of the curved plate or bar 0, and the pins J at the upper endsof the rails B C, substantially as herein shown and described.

6. The co1nbination,with a step-ladder, of a wing, P, provided with aleg, Q1, substantially as herein shown and described.

DAN VAN TRUMP.

Witnesses:

Soorr TURTON, G. W. CUmnNes.

